Monthly Archives: November 2012

Is it wrong that I’m a little sad that Issak is dead? I really liked his character and I was hoping he’d be sticking around a little bit longer. He was a great foil for Dexter and their chemistry was fantastic. But it was inevitable that he had to die so I guess I can’t be too upset.

How do you all feel about Hannah? I really want to like them together because of what she gives Dexter…someone he can completely be himself around. She knows all about who he is and she doesn’t judge him because he doesn’t judge her. In many ways, she’s the perfect person for him. But I worry that she can’t be trusted. One false move from Dexter or maybe he doesn’t put the dishes in the dishwasher correctly and poof! She poisons him and he’s a goner. I can see why Deb is so concerned about that. Because she has no code like Dexter. She’s just a killer. Whatever her reasons or motives are, she’s more unpredictable and that’s very dangerous.

It appears as though the Deb being in love with Dexter story is finally put to rest. I guess the writers felt they couldn’t just walk away and ignore it so this was a way to acknowledge the fact that it was there, it was addressed and now is handled. Basically Dexter gave Deb the “don’t worry you are so screwed up you’re in love with me” speech. He told her that while he can’t reciprocate, he can understand why her feelings went there. Deb is still creeped out by the whole thing (as are we all) but is going to move past it and just go back to normal with Dexter. Thank God. I give Dexter mad props here because if it were me and my sibling told me they were in love with me, I don’t think I could ever be around them again. But since Dexter is asking Deb, a police detective, to accept the fact that he’s a serial killer, I guess it’s only fair he learn to accept and move past the idea that his sister’s in love with him.

LaGuerta and Matthews are working together again…well, kind of. I thought it took a lot of balls for Maria to go see Tom after she destroyed his career. But to her point, kill or be killed and he was after her just as much as she was after him. She just ended up winning. We’ve already talked about how Maria never believed Doakes was the Bay Harbor Butcher. Now she’s on Dexter’s trail. The scent is getting stronger and stronger and now she’s strategizing with Matthews over the Butcher case and who the actual perpetrator is. My question is, why does Matthews care? I know why Maria is invested in this but why, with Matthews career destroyed, care? He cares because he wants Maria to get him reinstated so he can work just long enough to get his pension. She agrees and so their investigation begins. This is sooo bad for Dexter. It’s one thing to have Maria on your trail. Now he’ll have former Captain Matthews as well? It’s really getting for ugly. To the point of, what the hell is he going to do? He can’t kill them, they don’t fit his code. So what does he do when they find out?

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At this point, it’s not a matter of if Quinn dies, but when.

Looks like we have a new Big Bad in the form of a serial arsonist. Will this story run into next season or be wrapped up this year? It’s hard to believe we are throwing another element into this season with already so much going on!

Does anyone else care about Batista’s restaurant? I’m not sure why it’s being mentioned but part of me thinks it must be for a bigger reason. At first I thought it was just to set up Batista’s retirement when the show ends next season but the fact that it’s mentioned in every episodes means it could be something more. Then again, maybe I’m just reading too much into it.

It’s also official that George is a dead man at this point and possibly Nadia as well.

Only three episodes left. How will this season end and what will the set up for the final season be? I can’t wait to find out!!

I have been really bad with keeping up with Survivor this season. Partly because of work but mostly because the last two seasons were so bad because they were so poorly cast, I haven’t been that excited to watch this new season. I mean I still have 6-7 episodes of One World still on my DVR that I will watch at some point. And don’t tell me who won because I don’t know!

But this season has been worth watching the dreck of the last two seasons combined. This season is awesome!!! My husband and I plowed through all 10 episodes yesterday and I can’t wait for Wednesday’s to come around.

The reason this season is so good…the cast. You have lots of people to like and root for and you have good villains that root against but don’t vehemently despise to the point the show is unwatchable (cough, cough Colton, cough, cough.) But the most important reason this season is so good, you have people who actually want to play the game. Yes you have some idiots…like Angie. But you can have 1 or 2 Angies and it’s ok. It’s actually enjoyable because it’s funny to watch them try to compete when they are completely outmatched on all facets of the game. But when 12 out of the 18 people are Angies…it sucks. Luckily we have all people going with a “game on” mentality. The other thing I am THRILLED about….no more redemption island. I can appreciate the creators and producers trying to come up with different ways to breathe life into the game. But the redemption island angle was a bad one. Once someone is gone, they should be gone. No second or third chances. Once you’re out, you’re out. And having that back this season is much more enjoyable. Because in my opinion, the game of Survivor is perfection. The only thing you need for a really good season, is a good cast That’s the key. You don’t need gimmicks and stunts…just a good group of people willing to play the game with a range of interesting personalities. And that’s what you have this season.

It’s crazy because there are SOOO many people I’m rooting for. And all for different reasons. I’m rooting for Malcolm, Denise, Lisa, and Skupin. And if Carter or Penner were to win, I wouldn’t hate it. The only person that would bug me at this point is annoying-but-I-have-no-idea-just-how-utterly-annoying-I-am Abi. But I can’t see how that could possibly happen. Gun to my head, if I had to pick one person…it would be hard to choose between Malcolm and Denise but I’d have to go with Denise. She has played a phenomenal game. She’s strong in challenges, she works around camp, she’s incredibly likable, she’s loyal, and she’s a very good strategist. She is the complete package.

The thing I’m already happy about is seeing how several people have made comments about not taking what happens in the game personally. It’s one of the things about Survivor, from the cast standpoint, that has always bothered me….when people hold grudges outside the game for decisions people make in the game. Or when people question your character because of bold moves you make. Now don’t get me wrong, there have been people who have played this game, like Russell Hantz, NaOnka, and Colton, who are low-class people with no integrity whatsoever and they bring their vile natures to the game of Survivor. Because those people would be just as awful outside the game as they were inside the game. But for the most part, people don’t act on Survivor the way they would act in the real world. It’s a game. For a $1,000,000!!! So people do things they would NEVER do outside of Survivor because of the nature of the game. Therefore, I’ve never understood why people get so personal when it comes to moves made. I know it’s easy to say that watching from home. I’m not out there making the types of promises and friendships these guys are making. And I’m sure getting blindsided from someone you trusted, sucks and stabs you in the gut. But it’s not personal!!!! And therefore, there have been juries that have made emotional decisions (Natalie vs. Russell) versus the right decision on who really deserves to win because they can’t get past the hatred. But there have been several moments this season where one competitor has said to another, hey don’t worry about it, you were making a move, it’s a game it’s no big deal, don’t worry nothing personal. I love it!!!!

Random Thoughts on the Season:

Jeff Kent made a HUGE mistake not sticking with the 6-7 alliance. He was so tunnel visioned on getting rid of the returning players, he couldn’t see the forest through the trees. And as a result, instead of having Carter, Denise, Malcolm, Penner, RC, Skupin, and himself as a solid group (with still plenty of numbers to get Penner and Skupin out later) he flipped and voted with Pete, Abi, Artis, and Lisa and got someone out of the game who would have been loyal to him in RC. It was the one bad mistake he made in a pretty flawless game up until that point. And as a result, he was axed the very next week.

A person like Abi is exactly why you don’t make alliances too early in the game…because then you’re stuck with them. RC got screwed because she aligned herself with a fruit loop. Pete and Artis got screwed because they aligned themselves with a loud mouthed bitch who was stupid to boot. But to be fair, when someone comes to you and says, let’s make an alliance, you can shoot yourself in the foot if you say no. So you have to cross your fingers that you’re Malcolm and you end up with someone like Denise instead of RC who ended up with someone like Abi.

What was Penner thinking? Lisa and Skupin came to him wanting to make a final four alliance (I wonder who the 4th would have been…Carter maybe) and Penner said “Nah, I think I’ll wait this out a bit before I commit.” WHAT!!! Now this becomes a different strategy from the early in the game alliance where you need to be more careful because you don’t know these people yet. At this point in the game, you know these people a lot better. So you can make a better, more informed decision for your end game. I can appreciate that Penner wants to get jury votes because that’s important. But don’t you think, at this point, you’re better aligning yourself with people you know you can trust and can most likely beat than saying you’ll wait it out? I agree with Lisa, opportunity missed. It’s a big risk on his part, so I wonder how that will play out.

Lisa Whelchel has a been a fantastic surprise. The first two episodes I was worried she was on the early chopping block…which she was. Luckily for her, she was on a team that kept winning and never had to go to tribal council or she would have been gone. And it always surprises me when I see self-proclaimed Survivor ultra fans play the game like they’ve never watched the show before. And in the first few episodes, Lisa would go off by herself and isolate herself from her tribe because she didn’t fit in. Hello? If you’re such a fan, you have to know that’s a HORRIBLE strategy. Again, she was soooo lucky she was on a team where they won all the time. But then Lisa came out of her shell, saw some signs of life, and starting playing like a person who has watched this show before. She tried to make some bold moves to better her position and there were times it appears she was being manipulated that she was able to read very easily and not get snowed by someone’s kind gestures. She was cautiously trusting which is very smart on her part. And now, she maybe in a position to win this game!!! You go Blair Warner!!!

I want Malcolm or Denise to win this thing. They are my favorite hot guy, strong woman tandem since Colby and Tina in Season 2. I love that with all they went through, they have been loyal to each other since day one and have been able to survive a horrible tribe, being split up, and making new alliances. They are both in fantastic positions to win this thing. If the final two were between Malcolm and Denise, I would have no idea who I would vote for. Because while Denise has played the perfect game, Malcolm has been doing it with a target on his back the whole game and has still managed to survive.

So what do you think of this season of Survivor? I think this is the best season we’ve seen since Heroes vs Villains. And I can only hope, the producers are reading all the reviews, and the blogs, and the chat rooms to see how much people are enjoying this season and leave the redemption island gone for good and start casting better in the future. Because what a difference a good cast makes!!

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While this news is not surprising, it is certainly incredibly sad. Hollywood lost a true legend on Friday. Larry Hagman, at the young age of 81, passed away after complications from cancer with his family and friends.

Arguably, Hagman created one of the most, if not THE most, iconic TV characters in TV history…J.R. Ewing. A role he recently reprised in the summer reboot of “Dallas” on TNT. Hagman is most known for his role of J.R. Ewing, which he played for 14 seasons on the original “Dallas” run (1978-1991.) Hagman is also known for his role as lovable Major Tony Nelson on “I Dream of Jeannie” (1965-1970) with Barbara Eden. He was also the son of Broadway legend Mary Martin and Ben Hagman.

I remember watching “Dallas” as a kid. I was on 4 when it first came on the air. But one of the first TV episodes I remember watching was on March 21st 1980…the infamous “Who Shot JR” episode. I remember it not so much for the episode itself, but for the way my family reacted watching the episode and how they talked about it all summer long. I remember being in my house at the Jersey Shore and my aunt saying to my mother that she was rethinking it was Cliff Barnes that shot JR and that maybe it was really Sue Ellen. They went back and forth all summer….would it be a big character, would it be a smaller character. And their answer came in November 1981 (but if you want to find out who shot him, you’ll have to watch the show!)

There have been so many iconic TV characters over the years…Lucy Ricardo, Mary Richards, Archie Bunker, Ralph Kramdon, Columbo….but right up there with all of them is J.R. Ewing. And while a good portion of that was due to the writing, in my opinion, it was because of Larry Hagman and his perfect portrayal of the “love to hate him” bad boy Ewing.

The reboot of “Dallas” is currently filming its second season, which is set to premiere on Jan 28th on TNT. At this point, they are 6 episodes into shooting. There are 15 episodes scheduled for Season 2. There is no specific plan on how Hagman’s death will be dealt with on the show but the show runners have said that they are looking at revising scripts and will give J.R. the big send off both the character and the fans deserve.

Rest in Peace Mr. Hagman. I hope you are finally at peace and thank you for years of gracing my house with your talent and charm. You were truly exceptional. My thoughts and prayers are with your family and friends at this difficult time.

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I don’t think I’ve ever sat through a more cringe worthy scene than the one I watched on Sunday night between Dexter and Deb. I literally squealed during that scene. And I thought Carpenter and Hall played the hell out of it. There have been many jaw-dropping scenes this season on Dexter. But NONE as “HOLY SHIT” as that one!!

First, we have Deb asking Dexter to kill Hannah because she’s going to get away with another murder. Other people have mentioned how the season has been a good, slow build to that point. I disagree. While this may be 6-7 weeks in our time, it’s probably only 2 weeks, maybe, in Dexter time. So I don’t think Deb would jump on the “hey can you pick up some beer and kill the suspect I can’t nail? Thanks Bro!” bandwagon just yet. I think Carpenter has done a fantastic job showing all the ranges of emotion Deb is going through this season. But I still don’t think her character would succumb to Dexter’s dark passenger that fast. I just don’t. I think it’s too soon. And while I do think Dexter denied killing Hannah because of his feelings for her, I also think he did it to protect Deb. He knows she’s not that kind of person and she would regret it. She can’t be responsible for the death of someone else..intentionally. And that’s what this would have been.

It all comes to a head when Dexter goes over to Deb’s place and he throws down keys on the desk and Deb recognizes them as Hannah’s keys. Dexter borrowed her van to spy incognito on Issak. Oops. So then the tiny detail of Dexter and Hannah doing the horizontal mambo together is revealed and Deb is beside herself. She asks if they’re in love and Dex says he isn’t sure. At this point, it seriously would not have shocked me if Deb’s head exploded right off of her body. How much more can this girl take?

So while all this is happening, Deb decides now would be the absolute perfect time to reveal to Dexter that when she went to see him last year, when she caught him killing Travis Marshall, she was going there to tell him that she is in love with him. WHHHHHHHOOOOOOOAAAAA!!!! And..EEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWW!!!! I was really hoping the writers forgot that horrible storyline existed and were dropping the whole thing. Nope. No apparantly Deb really needed to share that information with Dexter and the look on Dexter’s face was priceless. He looked as creeped out as the rest of us feel with this God awful storyline. Even Deb said to him, you’re a serial killer in love with a serial killer and I’m more fucked up than you because I’m in love with a serial killer who happens to be my brother. Well, geez when you put it that way, she’s right. I can’t even begin to tell you how much this grosses me out. I’m not sure why the writers felt the need to go down this path. It is beyond disgusting. But they are so, ok.

On the flip side, I LOVE the character of Issak. Ray Stevenson is brilliant in this role. And I’m sort of disappointed because Issak is right. In any other circumstance, he and Dexter would be great friends because they understand one another. Why is that? Because we learned tonight that Viktor was not Issak’s son but his lover. Our boy Issak is gay. So Issak and Dexter bond over losing the person they love and the revenge they wish to seek on the person that took their loved ones away. Unfortunately for Dexter, he killed Viktor. So while Issak can respect Dexter, he’s going to kill him. And while Dexter respects Issak, he’s going to kill him. That’s quite the conundrum for this budding bromance. But I don’t want Issak to die. You can kill Jason Gedrick’s character but let’s keep Issak around? He’s quite entertaining!!

I think we need to start a “death pool” for the final 5 episodes this season and the 12 for next. Who is going to die? Let’s look at the main cast and place some % chances:

It’s hard to list a second tier cast for next season since we don’t know who’s in play so we have to go with this for now. But these are my best guess for who’s dying at some point before the end of the series. I’m pretty sure George, Hannah, and Quinn are goners at some point and I have a sinking feeling Issak is going to have to go. I think Dexter and LaGuerta could go either way. LaGuerta doesn’t fit Dexter’s code but we all know Dexter has killed people who don’t fit the code. But I can’t see him killing her. But what does he do when she puts all the pieces together? As for Dexter himself, it could go either way. I can see the show having him escape or I could see the show putting him behind bars or I could see the show killing him. So it’s a toss-up. Jamie and the kids, I don’t really care but since they’re around I put some % and that would really be storyline dictated but I don’t think anything will happen to any of them. But you never know!!!! Maybe I’m just hoping someone takes out Rita’s annoying kids.

What did you think of Dexter? This season is the best in a long time but the creep factor is at an all time high on this show and I really wish the writers would abort the mission.

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I really thought I was going to get through an episode without a tear shed. Then the scene with Camille and Kristina happened where she gave her the sweater that was worn by 7 other cancer survivors curing Chemo. Earlier there was a scene where Camille walked in and heard the tail end of Kristina’s conversation with her mother where her mother just told her she couldn’t come see her because someone else in her family had kidney stones. So later when Camille showed up with the sweater she tells Kristina’s that she isn’t her mother and would never try to take her mother’s place but that she loves her so much and would always be there for her no matter what. Are you kidding me? I was a mess!!! I love Camille and I love when the writers give Bonnie Bedelia these chances to shine. It’s what Parenthood is so good at. It was such a simple scene but it was so moving and beautiful and it was exactly what Kristina needed to hear. I loved it.

I love Amber and Ryan. Zeek and Sarah better not find a way to screw this up. I’m getting a bit concerned since Sarah asked Zeek what he thought of Ryan and he told her that he’s a great kid but vets coming back from war have major struggles ahead of them. The look on Sarah’s face scared me a little. I hope it’s just a mother concerned for her daughter in not wanting her to get hurt than the “Oh My God I have to break them up because Amber deserves better” face. I hope Zeek doesn’t go to Ryan and tell him he shouldn’t be in a relationship until he gets some direction and tells him to break up with Amber. I want Zeek and Sarah to respect that Amber in now an adult capable of making her own decisions, as is Ryan, and that if they want to give this a shot…LET THEM. If it doesn’t work out, fine, but let them make the decision for themselves. I will be beyond pissed if Sarah and Zeek find a way to screw this up.

I love the effort Julia is making to make Victor feel more at home. From going to get his friend Miguel to learning Spanish, she rocks. And it didn’t go unnoticed by Victor who is old enough to understand what Julia is doing when he came downstairs and heard her practicing Spanish. Between what Julia did for him at school and getting Miguel to come over and learning Spanish, I think Victor and Julia are going to have an amazing bond.

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I can’t believe I was a centimeter short of pulling this show off my DVR list last year. The first three episodes I watched were fine but not great. I had 8 more on my DVR just sitting there. Then over Christmas dinner, my family told me I had to watch it because it got better and better each week and at that point, was the best show on TV. Best show on TV? I think the Cabernet was flowing a bit heavily that night so it might have been the wine talking. Then I started watching them. They were right. Person of Interest was awesome!!! I couldn’t wait for each week’s episode.

The season, you always worry about the sophomore slump. Not in this case. The show is actually better this season. With Carter and Fusco now on board with Reese and Finch, show has much more symmetry. Although, it would be nice to have a Carter/Fusco centric show where maybe Reese and Finch have to help them out to validate they are NYPD detective vs. lackeys of Reese and Finch. I find it hard to believe at times they can just drop everything that they do to help R&F out but I’m going with it because I love it.

The two things I really love this season…Reese and Zoe and the humor they’ve injected into the show. This show is actually funny! You would never think it but this show has a great amount of humor perfectly placed into the show and it’s enhanced with Jim Caviezel’s ultra dry delivery. I love that Finch has a dog to keep him company with his fears rightful heighten with Root on the run, still hunting him. I like that Elias is still in the picture, even though he’s in jail. Anyone else think this weekly chess match was not just because there was no one smart enough to challenge Elias to a game, but to be able to study Finch’s strategic habits that will come into play at some point? I do! Ok, so maybe there are more than two things I am loving about this season. But if you aren’t watch POI, get on it!

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I love this show. But I’m not going to lie, I am falling less and less in love with Olivia Pope each week. When we first met Olivia, she was “The Fixer.” A tough, no-nonsense, intelligent woman who could fix any situation. The fun part was that Olivia’s job wasn’t to find the truth (although she does most of the time) it was to find reasons to get her clients out of the tight situations they were in and handle it/spin it to the best of her team’s ability. We also learned that Olivia’s team would run through fire for her. Whatever she did for them, they feel as though they owe her everything and will do whatever it takes for her. That was never more true than this week. And as a result, I’m now questioning my initial feelings about Ms. Pope. My initial feelings being she is smart, tough, and very well-connected and has garnered much respect and fear in DC. I liked seeing a strong woman take control and dominate situations the way she has because she’s always putting the good of her clients first. And even though that hasn’t changed, the peek behind the curtains we have been getting into Olivia hasn’t shown such a rosy picture.

As we have been seeing these last few weeks, there is something major that went down that involved Olivia, the First Lady, the White House Chief of Staff, a Supreme Court Justice, and a very wealthy oil man. And at the end of last week’s episode, we learned it might have been voter fraud. Don’t know that for sure, but that’s what the show is hinting at as of right now. But I think we’re getting to the point (at least for me) that I want some more clarity on what these secret meetings are about, why they are all so concerned, and at what levels each person was involved. Because certain decisions are being made to protect this little bridge club and those decisions are disgusting and vile. So I want to know why such decisions are being made. And this is Scandal so I have to believe that we can’t believe just what we are seeing on the surface. There has to be something else going on that will be revealed so we don’t end up hating the lead character. Right?

In case you’re wondering what I’m talking about, I’m referring to Olivia’s decision to take Harrison up on his offer to help her and break up Abby and David. And not just break them up. Use the fact that Abby’s husband used to beat her, against her and David. I can’t even begin to explain to you how much that disgusted me. And my question is why? Why would you do something to protect a circle of people (half of whom you hate) yet destroy someone you are obviously close to and care deeply about? Is it because “All Roads Lead to Fitz?” Is it to protect the President of the United States or is it to protect the man she loves or both? I mean let’s think about this. Olivia just destroyed the reputation of David Rosen. She painted him as a wife beater. AN INNOCENT MAN. She could have set him up as a cheater or lying about being married, but a criminal. And a wife beater??? Really? How do you live with yourself after doing something like that? And what about what that information does to Abby? How do you face her everyday as if nothing happened? It’s unfathomable to me. And as a result, I find Olivia Pope repugnant. I no longer feel she’s a strong, smart, successful woman. I think she’s a coward, a manipulator, and vile. I guess people would argue that there must be a reason she’s doing this. Well, I’d like some insight because right now, there is no justification for what she did. And there are a MILLION other ways she could have handled this. How about not being a coward and do the dirty work yourself instead of letting Harrison do it (more on him in a bit.) Or even better, why not have a come to Jesus talk with Abby and tell her why she can’t see Rosen anymore and if she doesn’t back off, then break them up…but not the way she did. Speaking of Harrison (and for that matter all of these associates at OPA) how about getting some background into why he is so loyal to Olivia. See, it’s one thing to be grateful to someone for standing by you when no one else would. It’s one thing to stand by someone who got you out of a terrible situation. It’s another to blindly go where they tell you and destroy people in the process out of “loyalty.” In one breath he tells Abby he loves her like a sister. In the next, he’s setting up her boyfriend as a wife beater so he can destroy her trust in him and break up with him. Apparently, there are no boundaries that can’t be crossed in the name of loyalty to Olivia. And maybe that’s what Olivia is banking on. Did she purposely go after these people to begin with knowing that if she took care of them, she would have Charles Manson like disciples for the rest of her life? That’s why I need more back story. I need to know more if I am to also follow Olivia wherever she goes.

On the flip side, I LOVE Cyrus. His evilness is just so delicious to watch, I can’t stand it. Now you’re probably saying I’m a complete hypocrite for loving how awful Cyrus is yet bashing Olivia for it. Here’s the difference. Cyrus was always a monster (as he himself puts it.) We were always to think that Cyrus is a whole other level of scary that we don’t want to mess with him. Olivia, is our protagonist. Our heroine. It’s hard to be a heroine when you destroy anyone in your path to get what you want. Olivia is supposed to be the person we root for. Cyrus is not. Therefore when Cyrus puts Mellie in her place in the middle of the White House in one breath and in the second accepts her invitation to the residence for dinner, it’s not awful, it’s awesome. When Cyrus breaks out the tears in the Oval Office telling his husband not to pursue stories because it will destroy him and then shuts them off completely after James has left the room showing there wasn’t an ounce of meaning behind what he just told him, it’s fantastic!!!! Because, Cyrus is the Evil Queen. So having those expectations going into the character are fine because that’s what he is. And as a viewer, I would disappointed in his character if he was anything but what he is. He isn’t pretending to the good guy while being awful. He’s the awful guy being awful. Olivia thinks she’s a good person (even donning wearing white at all times) but is anything but good. And maybe she was at one time, but the lines are so blurred at this point with decisions she has made and people she’s aligned herself with, that the word good can no longer be used to describe her.

But this show is awesome!!! It is must see TV each week. And even though I’m disappointed in the path Olivia’s character has gone down and I’m frustrated with the lack of back story explaining why she’s making the choices she is making, therefore giving me reason to cut her slack, I still love the show. What do you think of Scandal this season?